U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,649,463 and 5,704,265 describe high speed slicing machines having stacking conveyors that receive slices that are cut from a loaf. In a slicing machine operation, the slices fall onto the stacking conveyor and are formed into a stack, either a straight stack or a shingled stack. This stacking conveyor is sometimes referred to as a jump conveyor. The jump conveyor moves completed stacks from beneath the slicing blade onto a further conveyor to be conveyed eventually to a sorting and/or packaging operation. The jump conveyor can be provided with a vertical lift mechanism which allows the jump conveyor to descend as the stack is forming to ensure a constant drop distance from the loaf onto the preceding slice. The jump conveyor can be provided with a lateral movement means wherein stack corrections can be made or shingled stack patterns can be accumulated or product shuffled stacks can be created such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,763,750.
The present inventors have recognized that sometimes the first slice that begins an accumulated stack does not land and remain in a desirable orientation or position on the conveyor surface. The first slice can slide or bounce somewhat or can be slightly folded on an edge, on the conveyor surface. The slices that follow the first slice however have the advantage of the propensity of the slices to adhere together and the aforementioned problems are reduced.
The present inventors have recognized that it would be desirable to provide a mechanism for ensuring that the first slice cut from a loaf and received on a stacking conveyor surface landed and was maintained in a flat, properly positioned orientation for receiving the second and subsequent slices thereon.